In Sickness and in Health
by Snowflake Kisses
Summary: They would always be there for each other, through thick and thin, through sickness and through health.


**Disclaimer: Characters belong to: Bandai Namco**

**A/N: Guy and Luke are just too cute. Guy would be like the best big brother in the whole world. He's so hilarious and sweet. Well, enjoy and don't forget to leave a critique. I love to hear back from you guys and I want to improve so I can make sure to bring you all the best. Thanks again and happy reading!**

* * *

He guessed it was true, that saying of old habits dying hard. Usually, when he woke up in the middle of the night, like an internal alarm clock going off in his brain, he'd be frustrated. He'd have to pry himself out of his comfortable position and make his way over to a certain red-head.

Every night, he'd slip his hand under the blankets and rest it on the exposed skin of the teen's stomach. He'd count the even breaths, checking for any irregularities. That same hand would brush through lose red scarlet strands and pull the blankets up to cover his charge's body. He felt like a worried mother having to check on her child in the late hours of the night, it was kind of pathetic.

However, tonight was a different story. Tonight Guy was grateful for said internal alarm clock. The blond had just blinked tired, cerulean eyes at the white ceiling of the inn the group was currently staying at when he heard it. The sound was faint and weak, but he caught it without any strain; a small, pained whimper.

"Luke…" Guy whispered and sat up quickly, looking over to the adjacent bed only to find it empty. His eyes shifted immediately as another whimper flitted to his ears. Through the darkness of the room he could see the light gleaming in from the cracked bathroom door.

His feet were on the floor and moving towards the door before he even knew he'd made the command. Quietly, he pushed the door open and just in time to catch Luke as the teen started to tilt dangerously to the side.

'He's burning up,' Guy thought worriedly as his hands gripped at the warm skin of Luke's arms.

"G-Guy…" Luke cough, pressing his wrist to his mouth as he used his other hand to hold him up on the counter. His breathing was labored and he moved his hand down to his stomach, swallowing a few times.

"Luke, if you were going to be sick, why didn't you wake me up?" Guy asked worriedly, wrapping an arm around the boy's waist to keep him standing.

"D-Didn't have time…" Luke murmured, eyes widened as he lurched forward and threw up in the sink again.

Guy quickly took hold of Luke's short hair, pulling the fringe from his charge's face and turning to faucet on with his other hand.

Luke panted heavily and looked up into the mirror. His eyes were squinted, glazed over with pain and fever. His skin paler than normal, decorated with a deep crimson flush and glistening with sweat. His arms trembled with weakness and Luke was almost positive that if Guy wasn't holding him up, he'd have collapsed by now.

"Think you're done?" Guy asked softly, rubbing soothing circles on the boy's back.

Luke swallowed after a couple of dry heaves, looking tiredly at Guy with a small nod.

"Alright, then rinse your mouth out and we'll get you back to bed." Guy brushed his fingers through Luke's hair gently, smiling sadly as the teen relaxed from the motion.

Luke did as he was told, splashing some of the cold water onto his face as well, to wash the sweat away and cool some of the heat. Guy helped him dry off his skin with the nearby towel, before picking him up carefully.

"Mieu, is master okay?" Mieu asked worriedly, floating above the bed with a frown.

"'m fine Mieu…don't worry…" Luke offered him a weak smile, but coughed a few times despite his lack of breath.

"Mieu, master is a bad liar." Mieu frowned.

"Haha, guess I can't fool you…sorry…" Luke chuckled weakly, breathing shallowly.

"Alright, that's enough talking. You need to rest." Guy urged, placing Luke on the bed and covering him with the blanket.

"I'm going to go wake up Jade and get him to take a look at you, okay?" He told Luke, turning in preparation to leave.

Luke frowned slightly, weakly reaching out his hand and grasping onto the back of his white shirt. The blond blinked and turned back slightly, looking at the teen worriedly.

"D-Don't leave…" Luke murmured.

"It can't be help Luke. We need Jade to take a look at you." Guy sighed.

"Don't care…just please…don't leave me….alone…" Luke panted, eye pleading.

He couldn't argue with him and Guy new it, especially not in the state he was in. The blond gave a sigh of defeat, grasping Luke's hand gently to make him let go.

"Alright, alright I'll stay." He smiled slightly at him.

"Thank you…" Luke smiled weakly and closed his eyes, obviously drained from the simple event.

Guy gave a sympathetic look even though he knew the boy couldn't see it. He walked back into the bathroom, soon coming back with a small wooden basin filled with chilled water and a cloth. Once he set it on the side table by the bed, he dunked the cloth into the water, wringing out the extra water, before placing it gently on Luke's forehead. The cold seemed to be just what the doctor ordered for Luke let out a content sigh.

"You just rest, okay? I'll stay right here," Guy whispered to Luke as he took hold of his hand. The action sent a wash of comfort through the teen, noted by how his tensed shoulder sank and his features softened.

It wasn't long before the blond servant knew his master was fast asleep, worn out from the drama of the night. Guy's tan fingers gently rubbed circles against the back of Luke's hand, thumb running over calloused knuckles. He was surprised that even after all the fighting they'd been doing, boy's hands were still soft.

'Just like his heart,' Guy thought idly. He smiled lightly at the boy next to him and leaned down to place a kiss against his head.

"Mieu," Guy called in a hush.

"Yes?" Mieu whispered, flying over.

"Go wake up the others, okay? Contrary to popular believe, the Amazing Guy can't do everything on is own." He winked.

"I will, Mieu." Mieu nodded and smiled in determination before flying out the door.

* * *

For once, Guy was thankful to have Jade and his random intelligence around. The man had found that Luke was suffering from a sever case of the flu. It wasn't too much of a surprise really, because even after everything they've been through the boy still had quiet the weak immune system. He had spent his whole life in a manor after all.

With the aid of both Natalia and Tear, Guy worked with them to try and lower Luke's fever, while Jade prepared medicine with Anise. Natalia used her Recover Arte to try and help strengthen Luke's system, if only a little, for it to fight the disease. Tear retrieved fresh water and towels for Guy to clean the sweat off of the boy's body.

However, despite their efforts the night was still long and tedious. Luke's temperature fluctuated drastically and left him with horrid hallucinations. He would occasionally awaken in a delirious fit, screaming and fighting against Guy and Jade as they tried to keep him still. He'd begun to dry heave again soon after due to the exertion and Guy was starting to fear the boy would hurt himself if it continued.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry! Please, don't hurt my friends…!" Luke screamed, cried, and thrashed furiously against Guy's grip. His eyes were half open, fogged by the fever and trapped in delirium. His body shook violently, damp with sweat and weak from constant exertion.

"Luke, its okay buddy, nothing is happening, everyone is fine. Calm down!" Guy tried to console him, raising his voice over the wails of his friend, but the calls only fell on deaf ears.

"I-I'm sorry…it's all my fault! Please….please don't kill them! Don't hurt Natalia….Don't hurt Tear…please! I'm sorry…!" Luke sobbed, tears spilling down his face.

"Luke…" Natalia whispered in despair, looking at Tear as the younger girl wrapped and arm around her in comfort.

"Luke, it's just a hallucination! Please, snap out of it before you hurt yourself!" Guy begged, biting his lip to keep from crying himself. It killed him inside; it really did, to see his best friend, the boy who was like his own child, torn apart like this.

"P-Please….don't….don't take my friends away! Don't take my big brother away! N-No…no! Guy! Guy!" Luke screamed in pain at the top of his lungs as he arched his back, loud enough to wake the whole inn, if not the whole town.

"Luke!" Guy yelped, having to pin the boy's arms down as the teen began to struggle again.

"Guy, keep him still! I've got the injection ready." Jade ordered.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Guy snapped through grit teeth, wincing as he kicked in the stomach. Guy was forced to move and sit on Luke's hips, pinning the boy to the bed and making his struggles futile.

"Hurry!" Guy told Jade.

The man nodded and hurried over, slipping the needle into Luke's arm and injecting him with the medication.

Luke obviously wasn't happy about that, because he screamed out again and pulled harder against Guy's grasp. Thankfully Jade had pulled the needle out just as Luke's thrashes grew in intensity.

"Dammit…Luke Fon Fabre, snap out of it!" Guy growled in desperate anger as he was kicked in the back, a slap ringing through the room.

Luke blinked rapidity, his head turned to the side and a hand print forming on his cheek.

Guy and Luke were breathing hard, their breaths the only sound in the room. Guy bit his lip, feeling the stinging pain in his palm and the heat of tears pricking his eyes. His jaw hurt from how it was clenched, his arm shaking.

Luke raised a trembling hand to his cheek, looking up at Guy. When had the man sat on him…? What happened…?

"G-Guy…?" Luke blinked again in confusion.

"I-I'm sorry…I'm so sorry Luke. I'm so so sorry." Guy whispered painfully.

Luke blinked and looked around the room, seeing everyone there. Why were they there? Had something happened?

"You were hallucinating, must have been quiet the vivid image for the noise you caused." Jade said, pushing up his glasses.

"W-What…?" Luke blinked again, this time at him. His mind was so fogged it was hard to really understand anything at this point.

"L-Luke, you have a very bad fever. You were thrashing around so much, Guy was afraid you'd hurt yourself. He had to pin you down so the Colonel could give you medicine to stop the hallucinations." Anise explained.

"But instead, I slapped you….I'm so sorry Luke…" Guy swallowed, bowing his head.

"You…shouldn't apologize. It was a good thing that you did….you snapped me out of it." Luke smiled weakly.

"B-But…" Guy blinked.

Luke shook his head. "Thank you Guy…you're always there for me. You always watch out for me…always have my back no matter what. I'm really thankful to have you around….you and everyone else….You guys have been taking care of me this whole time….and I'm sorry I've caused so much trouble…"

Guy sniffed and rubbed at his eyes, shaking his head as he climbed off his friend. "Idiot…you're not causing anyone any trouble…you just need to get better, okay?"

"Alright…," Luke chuckled weakly, "I will. Oh, Guy. Would you…?"

Guy side glanced at the others who gave him a warm smile and a wave as they quietly left the room. The blond sighed and smiled softly, sitting back down on the edge of the bed.

"Of course I will Luke," Guy locked their hands together in a gentle embrace as Luke's eye drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, sun gleamed in through the curtains of the window, golden light splashing against the walls and furniture. Luke sat up and yawned, his fever broken and feeling refreshed. He went to go stretch, but found a weight holding his right hand down. He looked and found a hand wrapped around his, the embracing hands close to Guy's sleeping face.

Luke smiled softly, vaguely recalling the events of the night before. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Guy's head.

"Thanks for always having my back, in sickness and in health."

* * *

Extra:

[A few days past and Luke fully recovered from the infection, allowing the group to under go the rest of their journey. Before they left, however, they decided to make a few stops to gather the last of their needed supplies]

?: Okay, so all you have to do is just turn the next corner and you guys will see him.

Woman 1: And you're sure he won't mind?

?: Of course not, he loves this sort of thing.

Woman 2: I heard from a few friends in Baticul that he is quiet the nice young man.

Woman 3: I just swoon thinking about it.

Woman 4: Who wouldn't love a man who can play his words as neat as his sword.

Anise: Don't forget to pay me later for rounding them all up, okay? [Giggle evilly]

?: Don't worry, I have 2,000 Gald of my own money to give you. Just make sure he doesn't see you until I say so, okay?

All 5 girls: Got it!

[Guy looks up as he hears footsteps, smiling at Luke]

Guy: Hey Luke, so what were you and Anise up to?

Luke: [Shrugs and smiles] Nothing important, just something for you.

Guy: [Gets a confused expression] Something for me? What is it?

Luke: [Grins] it's a surprise.

Guy: Aww, come on, tell me.

Luke: [Sighs] If you really want to know, I guess I'll let you have it now. Oh, Anise~ [Luke quickly runs away]

Guy: [Blinks and gets a feeling of dread] Wait, Luke! Why are you running…[Sees giant shadow appear from behind him and gulps]…away….

[Guy looked over his shoulder and his eyes widen as all 5 woman lunge towards him.]

All 5 girls: We love you Guy Cecil!

Guy: AAAAAUUUUGGGGHHHHHHH! LUKE!

Luke: [Grins evilly] Revenge really is sweat.

Mieu: That's all this time! Thanks for reading! Mieu~


End file.
